Highly active hydrogen evolution catalysis from metallic WS2 nanosheets

Abstract

We report metallic WS₂ nanosheets that display excellent catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that is the best reported for MX₂ materials. They are chemically exfoliated from WS₂ nanostructures synthesized by chemical vapour deposition, including by using a simple and fast microwave-assisted intercalation method. Structural and electrochemical studies confirm that the simultaneous conversion and exfoliation of semiconducting 2H-WS₂ into nanosheets of its metallic 1T polymorph result in facile electrode kinetics, excellent electrical transport, and proliferation of catalytically active sites.